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Natural Resources Conservation Service

Department of Agriculture seal

Department of Agriculture

Mission

NRCS works with farmers, ranchers, and forest landowners across the country to boost agricultural productivity and protect natural resources through conservation. Through voluntary partnerships, NRCS develops conservation plans and implements practices in collaboration with producers and communities to meet their unique conservation and business goals. By doing so, they help address climate change and ensure the long-term sustainability of American agriculture.

Designated Services

Participating in the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP)

Website

Together, NRCS and agricultural producers invest in solutions that improve agricultural operations and conserve natural resources. NRCS provides conservation planning via technical assistance funding to develop a plan to address resource concerns. The plan serves as a basis for financial resources for planning, design, and implementation of conservation practices. Conservation practices funded through EQIP help producers improve their natural resource conditions, creating both environmental and operational benefits. The program assists owners and operators of agricultural, forest land, grassland, Tribal lands, and urban acres with the identification of natural resource problems, while helping address identified problems in an environmentally beneficial and cost-effective manner. EQIP has committed $2.4 billion in conservation solutions, to date, for more than 9.7 million acres treated, with more than 168,000 practices installed, delivered to nearly 34,000 program participants. More than $652 million has been invested to treat more than 2.4 million acres for nearly 16,000 historically underserved producers.

Action Plans